Go Big Read announced “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” will be the next all-campus read for the 2010-11 school year Tuesday with the book weaving together a story of cell research, diversity and medical ethics.
Written by Rebecca Skloot, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman who died of cancer in the 1950s but lived on through her unintentional contributions to cell research.
Lack’s cells were taken by researchers and became the first cells to grow and survive in a culture. The cells, named HeLa cells after Lacks, went on to become instrumental in developing the polio vaccine and to furthering the understanding of cancer cells, according to a statement from Skloot’s website. They are still used for research today at the University of Wisconsin.
Controversy clouds the discoveries for which Lack’s cells are responsible, as Lack’s family received no credit or compensation for the cells taken from her by researchers, according to the statement. However, at the time, no permission was needed to use discarded materials from medical patients.
University of Wisconsin professor of bioethics Pilar Ossorio said Lacks was treated at Johns Hopkins during what was essentially America’s apartheid: the Jim Crow era. The Lacks family was not aware of the scientific achievements Lacks’ cells made possible until long after her death.
Although the societal benefits HeLa cells have made are undeniable, Ossorio said the way they were acquired was disrespectful to Lacks and her family.
“A big part of the story is how the family was taken advantage of by the medical establishment,” Sarah McDaniel, UW coordinator of the Library and Information Literacy Instruction Program said.
Her family’s mistrust was an obstacle Skloot had to overcome in order to write her book, which took 10 years to research, McDaniel said.
“It took her a few years to gain the trust of the family and get them interested in the process. They were mistrustful because the cells had been commercialized, but their family didn’t profit from the scientific advances that were made,” McDaniel said.
Ossorio said it is important for students to hear Lacks’ story because there are few checks in the law preventing similar things from happening to patients today.
She said a student could go to the doctor and have his or her name stripped off a blood sample so it could be used by researchers and any gains made would never make it back to the student.
“It’s important to understand what the laws and conventions are which affect you when you go to the doctor,” Ossorio said.
Skloot plans to visit campus this October, and part of her visit will include a larger bioethics initiative, the details of which are still being ironed out, McDaniel said.
Although Chancellor Biddy Martin made the final decision on this novel, both undergraduate and graduate students who sat on a review committee for Go Big Read gave Skloot’s narrative nonfiction high marks.
“The student reviews really liked that one because it was particularly enjoyable to read. Some other titles were a little dryer in their tone. It has a nice narrative at the center of it,” McDaniel said.
